This article reveals more details about FreeStreamz Search which is considered to be a browser hijacker. In this article, you will also find detailed step-by-step instructions that will guide you through the removal process of all suspicious and potentially undesired files from your affected system.
FreeStreamz Search is a nasty website that affects popular web browsers by replacing their main settings. As a result, you start seeing its hoax search engine every time you open the affected browser. Even if it looks like a reliable searching service, this hijacker is primarily designed to spy on your online activities so it can use generated data records for the launch of aggressive targeted advertising campaigns.
Threat Summary
| Name | FreeStreamz |
| Type | Browser Hijacker, Redirect, PUP |
| Short Description | A questionable search enigne that suddenly starts to appear in your preferred web browser. |
| Symptoms | Your homepage, new tab page and search enigne could dislay a hijacker. Browser slowdowns could occur due to increased number of online ads. |
| Distribution Method | Freeware Installations, Bundled Packages |
| Detection Tool | See If Your System Has Been Affected by FreeStreamz Download Malware Removal Tool |
| User Experience | Join Our Forum to Discuss FreeStreamz. |
FreeStreamz Search – Spread and Impact
Being classified as a browser hijacker, FreeStreamz Search is a program that you have probably never installed by your will. As a typical potentially unwanted program, it is likely to be spread with the help of shady techniques that conceal its presence. Such techniques are known to be software bundling, corrupted web pages, fake software update notifications, and other.
Some of the most preferred web browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Opera and Safari could be affected by FreeStreamz Search hijacker.
Browser hijackers like FreeStreamz Search are hoax search engines that aim to spy on your online behavior so they can afterward make you a target of aggressive advertising campaigns.
In order to force you into using its deceptive services, the hijacker alters some essential browser settings without your knowledge. As a result of applied changes, you start seeing its main page to load as start page, new tab page and default search engine.
One of the purposes of this hoax search engine is data harvesting. For the realization of this purpose, the hijacker utilizes different tracking technologies such as cookies, web beacons, javascript, etc.
So every next website you visit, search query you enter, ad you click, the information you enter will be automatically sent to FreeStreamz Search’s servers. As you may guess, such a nasty side effect is misused by hijacker’s owners. Once they know what your interests are, they could easily make you a target of their aggressive advertising campaigns.
The moment they launch the campaigns your browsing sessions could be flooded by numerous ads of all types – pop-ups, pop-unders, banners, in-text links, images, videos, fake notification windows, etc. Since these ads may load on every website you visit, your browser could become sluggish or completely unresponsive sometimes. Pretty annoying, right?
Considering all issues that occur as a result of having FreeStreamz Search in your browser we recommend you to follow our thorough removal guide and get rid of all harmful files and objects installed by the hijacker.
How to Remove FreeStreamz Search Hijacker
In order to remove FreeStreamz Search hijacker along with all associated files that enable its appearance in the browser, you should complete several removal steps. In the guide below you will find all removal steps in their precise order. You could choose between manual and automatic removal approaches. In order to fully get rid of this particular undesired program and strengthen the security of your device we recommend you to combine the steps. Have in mind that installed files associated with this hijacker may be detected with names different than FreeStreamz Search.
In case you have further questions or need additional help with the removal process, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or contact us at our email.
Gergana Ivanova
Gergana has completed a bachelor degree in Marketing from the University of National and World Economy. She has been with the STF team for three years, researching malware and reporting on the latest infections.
Follow Me:
.
Gergana Ivanova
Gergana has completed a bachelor degree in Marketing from the University of National and World Economy. She has been with the STF team for three years, researching malware and reporting on the latest infections.
Follow Me:
.
Gergana Ivanova
Gergana has completed a bachelor degree in Marketing from the University of National and World Economy. She has been with the STF team for three years, researching malware and reporting on the latest infections.
Follow Me:
Note! Your computer system may be affected by FreeStreamz and other threats.
Scan Your PC with SpyHunter
SpyHunter is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as FreeStreamz.
Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
To remove FreeStreamz follow these steps:
Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7.
2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10.
Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.For Windows XP, Vista and 7 systems:
1. Remove all CDs and DVDs, and then Restart your PC from the “Start” menu.
2. Select one of the two options provided below:
– For PCs with a single operating system: Press “F8” repeatedly after the first boot screen shows up during the restart of your computer. In case the Windows logo appears on the screen, you have to repeat the same task again.
– For PCs with multiple operating systems: Тhe arrow keys will help you select the operating system you prefer to start in Safe Mode. Press “F8” just as described for a single operating system.
3. As the “Advanced Boot Options” screen appears, select the Safe Mode option you want using the arrow keys. As you make your selection, press “Enter“.
4. Log on to your computer using your administrator account
While your computer is in Safe Mode, the words “Safe Mode” will appear in all four corners of your screen.
Step 1: Open up the Start Menu.
Step 2: Click on the Power button (for Windows 8 it is the little arrow next to the “Shut Down” button) and whilst holding down “Shift” click on Restart.
Step 3: After reboot, a blue menu with options will appear. From them you should choose Troubleshoot.
Step 4: You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu choose Advanced Options.
Step 5: After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.
Step 6: From the Startup Settings menu, click on Restart.
Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You can choose any of the three Safe Mode options by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.
Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries on your computer to change different settings. This is why cleaning your Windows Registry Database is recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit long and tampering with registries could damage your computer if not done properly you should refer and follow our instructive article about fixing registry entries, especially if you are unexperienced in that area.
Find files created by FreeStreamz
1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. 2. For Windows XP, Vista, and 7.For Newer Windows Operating Systems
Step 1:
On your keyboard press + R and write explorer.exe in the Run text box and then click on the Ok button.
Step 2:
Click on your PC from the quick access bar. This is usually an icon with a monitor and its name is either “My Computer”, “My PC” or “This PC” or whatever you have named it.
Step 3:
Navigate to the search box in the top-right of your PC’s screen and type “fileextension:” and after which type the file extension. If you are looking for malicious executables, an example may be “fileextension:exe”. After doing that, leave a space and type the file name you believe the malware has created. Here is how it may appear if your file has been found:
N.B. We recommend to wait for the green loading bar in the navination box to fill up in case the PC is looking for the file and hasn’t found it yet.
For Older Windows Operating Systems
In older Windows OS’s the conventional approach should be the effective one:
Step 1:
Click on the Start Menu icon (usually on your bottom-left) and then choose the Search preference.
Step 2:
After the search window appears, choose More Advanced Options from the search assistant box. Another way is by clicking on All Files and Folders.
Step 3:
After that type the name of the file you are looking for and click on the Search button. This might take some time after which results will appear. If you have found the malicious file, you may copy or open its location by right-clicking on it.
Now you should be able to discover any file on Windows as long as it is on your hard drive and is not concealed via special software.
Before starting the Automatic Removal below, please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.
Use SpyHunter to scan for malware and unwanted programs
Scan your PC and Remove FreeStreamz with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for FreeStreamz and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove FreeStreamz.
Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.It is recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
Step 1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Malware/PC Scan’ tab. A new window will appear. Click on ‘Start Scan’.
Step 2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the ‘Next’ button.
Step 3: If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.
Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future
IMPORTANT! Before reading the Windows backup instructions, we highly recommend to back up your data with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats. We recommend you to read more about it and to download SOS Online Backup .
Try to Restore Files Encrypted by FreeStreamz
Ransomware infections and FreeStreamz aim to encrypt your files using an encryption algorithm which may be very difficult to decrypt. This is why we have suggested several alternative methods that may help you go around direct decryption and try to restore your files. Bear in mind that these methods may not be 100% effective but may also help you a little or a lot in different situations.
Method 1: Scanning your drive’s sectors by using Data Recovery software.
Another method for restoring your files is by trying to bring back your files via data recovery software. Here are some suggestions for preferred data recovery software solutions:
Method 2: Trying Kaspersky and EmsiSoft’s decryptors.
If the first method does not work, we suggest trying to use decryptors for other ransomware viruses, in case your virus is a variant of them. The two primary developers of decryptors are Kaspersky and EmsiSoft, links to which we have provided below:
Method 3: Using Shadow Explorer
To restore your data in case you have backup set up, it is important to check for Volume Shadow Copies, if ransomware has not deleted them, in Windows using the below software:
Method 4: Finding the decryption key while the cryptovirus sends it over a network via a sniffing tool.
Another way to decrypt the files is by using a Network Sniffer to get the encryption key, while files are encrypted on your system. A Network Sniffer is a program and/or device monitoring data traveling over a network, such as its internet traffic and internet packets. If you have a sniffer set before the attack happened you might get information about the decryption key. See how-to instructions below:
Gergana Ivanova
Gergana has completed a bachelor degree in Marketing from the University of National and World Economy. She has been with the STF team for three years, researching malware and reporting on the latest infections.
Follow Me:
Note! Your computer system may be affected by FreeStreamz and other threats.
Scan Your PC with SpyHunter
SpyHunter is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as FreeStreamz.
Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
To remove FreeStreamz follow these steps:
Boot Your PC Into Safe Mode
1. For Windows XP, Vista and 7. 2. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. Fix registry entries created by malware and PUPs on your PC.For Windows XP, Vista and 7 systems:
1. Remove all CDs and DVDs, and then Restart your PC from the “Start” menu.
2. Select one of the two options provided below:
– For PCs with a single operating system: Press “F8” repeatedly after the first boot screen shows up during the restart of your computer. In case the Windows logo appears on the screen, you have to repeat the same task again.
– For PCs with multiple operating systems: Тhe arrow keys will help you select the operating system you prefer to start in Safe Mode. Press “F8” just as described for a single operating system.
3. As the “Advanced Boot Options” screen appears, select the Safe Mode option you want using the arrow keys. As you make your selection, press “Enter“.
4. Log on to your computer using your administrator account
While your computer is in Safe Mode, the words “Safe Mode” will appear in all four corners of your screen.
Step 1: Open up the Start Menu.
Step 2: Click on the Power button (for Windows 8 it is the little arrow next to the “Shut Down” button) and whilst holding down “Shift” click on Restart.
Step 3: After reboot, a blue menu with options will appear. From them you should choose Troubleshoot.
Step 4: You will see the Troubleshoot menu. From this menu choose Advanced Options.
Step 5: After the Advanced Options menu appears, click on Startup Settings.
Step 6: From the Startup Settings menu, click on Restart.
Step 7: A menu will appear upon reboot. You can choose any of the three Safe Mode options by pressing its corresponding number and the machine will restart.
Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries on your computer to change different settings. This is why cleaning your Windows Registry Database is recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit long and tampering with registries could damage your computer if not done properly you should refer and follow our instructive article about fixing registry entries, especially if you are unexperienced in that area.
Find files created by FreeStreamz
1. For Windows 8, 8.1 and 10. 2. For Windows XP, Vista, and 7.For Newer Windows Operating Systems
Step 1:
On your keyboard press + R and write explorer.exe in the Run text box and then click on the Ok button.
Step 2:
Click on your PC from the quick access bar. This is usually an icon with a monitor and its name is either “My Computer”, “My PC” or “This PC” or whatever you have named it.
Step 3:
Navigate to the search box in the top-right of your PC’s screen and type “fileextension:” and after which type the file extension. If you are looking for malicious executables, an example may be “fileextension:exe”. After doing that, leave a space and type the file name you believe the malware has created. Here is how it may appear if your file has been found:
N.B. We recommend to wait for the green loading bar in the navination box to fill up in case the PC is looking for the file and hasn’t found it yet.
For Older Windows Operating Systems
In older Windows OS’s the conventional approach should be the effective one:
Step 1:
Click on the Start Menu icon (usually on your bottom-left) and then choose the Search preference.
Step 2:
After the search window appears, choose More Advanced Options from the search assistant box. Another way is by clicking on All Files and Folders.
Step 3:
After that type the name of the file you are looking for and click on the Search button. This might take some time after which results will appear. If you have found the malicious file, you may copy or open its location by right-clicking on it.
Now you should be able to discover any file on Windows as long as it is on your hard drive and is not concealed via special software.
Before starting the Automatic Removal below, please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.
Use SpyHunter to scan for malware and unwanted programs
Scan your PC and Remove FreeStreamz with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for FreeStreamz and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove FreeStreamz. Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.It is recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
Step 1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Malware/PC Scan’ tab. A new window will appear. Click on ‘Start Scan’.
Step 2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the ‘Next’ button.
Step 3: If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.
Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future
IMPORTANT! Before reading the Windows backup instructions, we highly recommend to back up your data with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats. We recommend you to read more about it and to download SOS Online Backup .
Gergana Ivanova
Gergana has completed a bachelor degree in Marketing from the University of National and World Economy. She has been with the STF team for three years, researching malware and reporting on the latest infections.
Follow Me:
Note! Your computer system may be affected by FreeStreamz or other threats.
Scan Your PC with SpyHunter
SpyHunter is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as FreeStreamz.
Keep in mind, that SpyHunter’s scanner is only for malware detection. If SpyHunter detects malware on your PC, you will need to purchase SpyHunter’s malware removal tool to remove the malware threats. Read our SpyHunter 5 review. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
To remove FreeStreamz follow these steps:
1. Uninstall malicious programs from Windows
How to Uninstall malicious programs from Windows:
Here is a method in few easy steps that should be able to uninstall most programs. No matter if you are using Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista or XP, those steps will get the job done. Dragging the program or its folder to the recycle bin can be a very bad decision. If you do that, bits and pieces of the program are left behind, and that can lead to unstable work of your PC, errors with the file type associations and other unpleasant activities. The proper way to get a program off your computer is to Uninstall it. To do that:
Select the program that you want to remove, and press “Uninstall” (fig.3).
Follow the instructions above and you will successfully uninstall most programs.
2. Clean your Browser and Registry from FreeStreamz
Remove FreeStreamz by cleaning your Browser and Registry.
Remove an extension from Mozilla Firefox
Remove an extension from Google Chrome
Remove an extension from Internet Explorer
Remove an extension from Microsoft Edge Fix registry entries created by FreeStreamz on your PC.
Select the “Add-ons” icon from the menu.
Select the unwanted extension and click “Remove“
After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red “X” button at the top right corner and start it again.
Select the extension you want to remove and then click ‘Disable’. A pop-up window will appear to inform you that you are about to disable the selected extension, and some more add-ons might be disabled as well. Leave all the boxes checked, and click ‘Disable’.
After the unwanted extension has been removed, restart Internet Explorer by closing it from the red ‘X’ button located at the top right corner and start it again.
Open the drop menu by clicking on the icon at the top right corner.
From the drop menu select “Extensions”.
Choose the suspected malicious extension you want to remove and then click on the gear icon.
Remove the malicious extension by scrolling down and then clicking on Uninstall.
Some malicious scripts may modify the registry entries on your computer to change different settings. This is why cleaning your Windows Registry Database is recommended. Since the tutorial on how to do this is a bit long and tampering with registries could damage your computer if not done properly you should refer and follow our instructive article about fixing registry entries, especially if you are unexperienced in that area.
Before starting the Automatic Removal below, please boot back into Normal mode, in case you are currently in Safe Mode.
This will enable you to install and use SpyHunter 5 successfully.
3. Scan for malware and unwanted programs with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool
Scan your PC and Remove FreeStreamz with SpyHunter Anti-Malware Tool and back up your data
1. Install SpyHunter to scan for FreeStreamz and remove them.2. Scan with SpyHunter, Detect and Remove FreeStreamz. Back up your data to secure it from malware in the future.It is recommended to run a scan before purchasing the full version of the software to make sure that the current version of the malware can be detected by SpyHunter. Click on the corresponding links to check SpyHunter’s EULA, Privacy Policy and Threat Assessment Criteria.
Step 2: Guide yourself by the download instructions provided for each browser.
Step 3: After you have installed SpyHunter, wait for it to update automatically.
Step 1: After the update process has finished, click on the ‘Malware/PC Scan’ tab. A new window will appear. Click on ‘Start Scan’.
Step 2: After SpyHunter has finished scanning your PC for any files of the associated threat and found them, you can try to get them removed automatically and permanently by clicking on the ‘Next’ button.
Step 3: If any threats have been removed, it is highly recommended to restart your PC.
Back up your data to secure it against attacks in the future
IMPORTANT! Before reading the Windows backup instructions, we highly recommend to back up your data with a cloud backup solution and insure your files against any type of loss, even from the most severe threats. We recommend you to read more about it and to download SOS Online Backup .
Gergana Ivanova
Gergana has completed a bachelor degree in Marketing from the University of National and World Economy. She has been with the STF team for three years, researching malware and reporting on the latest infections.
Follow Me:
Note! Your computer system may be affected by FreeStreamz and other threats.
Scan Your MAC with Combo Cleaner
Combo Cleaner is a powerful malware removal tool designed to help users with in-depth system security analysis, detection and removal of threats such as FreeStreamz.
Keep in mind, that Combo Cleaner needs to purchased to remove the malware threats. Click on the corresponding links to check Combo Cleaner’s EULA and Privacy Policy.
Manually delete FreeStreamz from your Mac
Step 1: Hit the ⇧+⌘+U keys to open Utilities. Another way is to click on “Go” and then click “Utilities”, like the image below shows:
Step 2: Find Activity Monitor and double-click it:
Step 3: In the Activity Monitor look for any suspicious processes, belonging or related to FreeStreamz:
To quit a process completely, choose the “Force Quit” option.
Step 4: Click on the “Go” button again, but this time select Applications. Another way is with the ⇧+⌘+A buttons.
Step 5: In the Applications menu, look for any suspicious app or an app with a name, similar or identical to FreeStreamz. If you find it, right-click on the app and select “Move to Trash”.
Step 6: Select Accounts, after which click on the Login Items preference. Your Mac will then show you a list of items that start automatically when you log in. Look for any suspicious apps identical or similar to FreeStreamz. Check the app you want to stop from running automatically and then select on the Minus (“–“) icon to hide it.
Step 7: Remove any left-over files that might be related to this threat manually by following the sub-steps below:
1.Go to Finder.
2.In the search bar type the name of the app that you want to remove.
3.Above the search bar change the two drop down menus to “System Files” and “Are Included” so that you can see all of the files associated with the application you want to remove. Bear in mind that some of the files may not be related to the app so be very careful which files you delete.
4.If all of the files are related, hold the ⌘+A buttons to select them and then drive them to “Trash”.
Remove FreeStreamz – related extensions from your Mac’s browsers.
Remove a toolbar from Mozilla FirefoxRemove a toolbar from Google Chrome
Remove an extension from Safari and reset it.
Select the “Add-ons” icon from the menu.
Select the Extension and click “Remove“
After the extension is removed, restart Mozilla Firefox by closing it from the red “X” in the top right corner and start it again.
Step 1: Remove Safari extensions
Start Safari
Open the drop menu by clicking on the sprocket icon in the top right corner.
From the drop menu select ‘Preferences’
In the new window select ‘Extensions’
Click once on the extension you want removed.
Click ‘Uninstall’
A pop-up window will appear asking for confirmation to uninstall the extension. Select ‘Uninstall’ again, and the FreeStreamz will be removed.
Step 2: Reset Safari
IMPORTANT: Before resetting Safari make sure you back up all your saved passwords within the browser in case you forget them.
Start Safari and then click on the gear leaver icon.
Click the Reset Safari button and you will reset the browser.
Automatically remove FreeStreamz from your Mac
When you are facing problems on your Mac as a result of unwanted scripts and programs such as FreeStreamz, the recommended way of eliminating the threat is by using an anti-malware program. Combo Cleaner offers advanced security features along with other modules that will improve your Mac’s security and protect it in the future.
Gergana Ivanova
Gergana has completed a bachelor degree in Marketing from the University of National and World Economy. She has been with the STF team for three years, researching malware and reporting on the latest infections.
Follow Me:
